I am surprised to find that it was already a month ago when I was in Belgium and I'm only just getting up to the fourth day, Sunday. Already I'm looking forward to our trip to Wales and then Morocco next month, which are definite. After that, I'd really like to do a short trip over to Ireland on my Birthday. But anyhow, I'd best get my log of Belgium out of the way first.
After our travelling about on the previous days, we decided we'd best hang around in Brussels and see more of the place. We started by going to the Sunday market which springs up all around the plaza beside the railway tracks. It's actually a very common place to find a market in Europe where space is at a premium and there's this land that no one wants to live on beside the raised rail lines. Temporary market stalls just seem to appear to sell all manner of products from junk to fresh produce to flowers to bedding.
After hanging about here and marvelling at the 'wall of meat' we started a long walk across town, headed for a famous friterie named Maison Antoine that we had heard was the best. And that would mean the best fries in the best country to get them, so therefore, the best fries in the world. Of course, the way was long and arduous and fraught with many dangers. Dangers such as: Palaces and Museums!
No kidding, we accidentally walked by the royal palace and some other amazing looking buildings that we otherwise would not have seen. So that was good. We also saw one particularly incredible building in art nouveau style, that on closer inspection turned out to be the Musical Instrument Museum. Having no great inclination to go there, but having been recommended it by Marine's friend, we went in.
Everything about this museum adds together to make it one of the best I've been to. It has musical instruments from all over the world, from all periods of history. There's even an area for modern electronic sequencers which takes you all the way back to the earliest programmable pianos and trumpets all the way back. Even better; headphones are handed out on entry which allow you to listen in on what each instrument sounds like just by standing in front of it.
We did finally reach the EU parliament building and went down behind it to find the little frite stand in the square surrounded by people. We waited in line for about 30 minutes to get our fries and when we got them finally, we went over to one of the pubs in the square to enjoy them. It's not even bad manners to do so! They have signs up saying that frites are welcome at their tables, though I imagine it would be rude to not then buy a drink. That was not a problem for me as it had been a long walk over and I needed a drink.
When we were done, we walked back into town via a different route and after about half an hour of walking we ended up back at the old shopping mall where we stopped for a coffee in a rather touristy area and watched the local beggars. We had a bit of shopping to do and so dispensed with that and then settled down in another one of those well hidden pubs down a short alley. This one had one middle aged woman at the bar and a couple of regular looking customers and allowed for smoking indoors.
As we sat there and enjoyed our drinks in that most incredible and ancient of settings, we watched several sets of obvious tourists peer in curiously and then scamper away. Probably off to Starbucks. I can see why most locals would come up to us speaking French; we just don't do those things which make us stand out immediately as tourists. I write this knowing that there will be no way to avoid looking like an outside when we arrive in Morocco, however.
Anyway, it was now getting around to evening time so we decided to find some food. Our search around St Catherine's square didn't turn up anything to our fancy, so we headed back towards the Marolles where there was a place called Birdie Nam Nam. It was a bit of a 'fusion' restaurant that offered traditional Belgian cuisine with a bit of a twist. I had the duck with Sichuan pepper and cherry and Kristen had a carbonnade with potato mash and crumbled speculoos biscuits. Although the food was rather good, it was a bit more expensive and the atmosphere wasn't as amazing as the amazing bier restaurant down the road.
However, stuffed full, we headed back to the hotel to sleep.
[gallery link="file" orderby="ID"]
No comments:
Post a Comment